New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-22
A TRAFFIC IN RASCALITY.
CONSULAR PROTECTION IN MoRoCCo-AN
EFFORT TO ABOLISH 1T.

rar,ana in p & @. steamer. only four hours from
Gibralta, which ia in some respects as bnghsh as
Adersho and yet in the silent City OF ranger yon
might be at the most distant limits OF the East
write in the full blaze of African sun, with scents
Of orange blossom, acacia, and helotrope inounting
from the garden below, and the air huns with insect
sife: but equally at this hour at right when ne
,neon beaches the town and the you listen IN VAN
for any OF the sounds with which civilization roals
on its way Trains OF camels wind in from the ooSe'i
yeied and turbaned figures pass, either shppelou "
barefoot, but always noiselessiy, In inc s'les''
wheeled vehicle has never been seen. On tne ooHon
the apostles may be drawing their nets hcoeO
meet Eleazer still at the well. ~ may 10 -.
prop1et will stop the procession whion Is vu
ri the eastern gate and bid the body OF the young
no, or;sa Go NJ least it seems vague sense Vi
Familiarity haunts every scene and IL is no. Az 'e'
possible TO bring the mind nearer nome ti,pi '.E
of the Old and New Testament IL '"Ae' ~,
realize that these pictures are al hul'" CIV ;torosts
and that the people who move IN them la'o :! :; 80
and homes and fears still to realize Ana IL !. Is 81
10 tbose on the suot it naturally even more true u
Americans or Enclshmen at home where tnousanu
present considerations are daily huS'ii"s
distant ones out OF court go -. A. .oondoIs
INT for this 1t is impossible that the eo" rIS
attendant upon Western administration her' e"o
hove nassed 40 long unreformed The quesuon Oh
al 1omatic and consular protection, 10 Whicn '.o
action of the American Consul, MT heeu Le"io 20
now calling attention. is one which cannon DC s"u W
heen altogether neglected. SINCE tue Noniei0"NN
~ Madrid met in 1880 for other purpose thah 10
reform the abuses which had gathered round the
svstem but it is one which has been much aheeteo py
The distance Of Morocco from civlllzed centres Vi
government and the ignorance IN when western
nations live of the affairs of the East The Conference
of Madrid did not serve its purpose. The abuses 10
which the Moorish Government then called attention
were not remedsd but have rather increased and they
have now reached point at which honest opnion
demands on all sides the total abolition OF the pro
tectiye SYSTEM One o. its inherent evils Is that the
iustoe or Injustice OF the administration depends
sl,oost entirely upon the will of individuals 1t was
frat instituted guarantee against the aroi1rary
action of Moorish law, but it has become as matter
of tact scarcely less arbitrary. Protected suec's
ere removed from the jurisdiction OF the native courts
they are exempted from military service ana from
almost ali direct taxation, and when money Is @Weu
20 them their claims are enforced by the protecting
mower They enjoy, therefore, position when Is
very superior to that OF other subjects OF the sultan
and it is within the power OF Ministers ana oonsus 10
Grant protection with the stroke of pen The con-
ditlons under which this may be done arc OF course
laid down by treaty, but they are not always OBJ
served These are very briefly stated, the GROUNDS
both of general abuse and OF the Sultans complaint
that his subjects taken from him and encouraged
20 DEFY his authority American administration here
has not been without reproach, aud the action OF the
newly appointed American Consul has therefore
attracted the more interest
On his arrival here some weeks ago Mr.. Lewis
received information that in the district OF Laraehe
MANY prisoners were confined American claims for
debt The seventies OF Moorish prisons in the in.
terror are very great tu grown men sink under them,
and they are nothing short OF tortt TO women ana
children In this instance it was said that the prison.
ers had been chained and fetered that some had been
sent 70 the central prison OF MezQuinez that some
had died OF misery and starvation, and that among
them there were mere children Mr.. Lewis signided
to the Bascha OF the district that not in ac
cordance with the wishes of his Government to inn
prison tor debt, and begged that all prisoners con-
fined for that cause upon American claims might be
released BY the same messenger he sent closed
letter obtained the Moorish Minister Tor Foreign
Affairs at Tanger which purported TO be an order OF
release Within days his courier returned say
ing that the letter OF the Moorish Minister was not
the order supposed TO be and that the prisoners
were not released. MIR. Lewis had personal inter-
view with the Foreign Minister. obtained with some
difficulty bona fde order of release and organized
small mission to go down and hberate the prisoners
Every case was inquired into by the members of the
mission Rank Injustice disclosed, and, moreover,
II was proved that the claims IN great number
of cases urged in the name OF jew, Reuben Ferge-
man who had no right to American protection. MT
Lewis informed the Bascha that the man was not al
American protege. The manner IN when he had
been acting under tie ags OF the United States may
be inferred from the that the instant the protec
ton was withdrawn he was seized by the Moorish
authorities and sent in irons TO Tausier For sixteen
years he had oppressed TIE district which lie lived,
Of extortion and tyranny When he mounted
the mule which was take him to Taugier the people
collected in a sort of stupor to see him 60. Nothing
but the evidence OF their eyes could convince
them that the mighty had indeed been brought low.
The Jewish community is furious against Mr. Lewis.
On the dav alter the return OF the mission from
Acazar Occupations of Jews waite upon the principal
foreign representatives to protest against the prompt
tude OF New England action, and the local press,
which as exercised itself in tarn upon every Minifter
who attempted retorms has taken Mr.. Levis's name
for its bait. There are French and Spanish and
English papers here, but disinterested organ OF
public opinion, and so far support rom outside is
concerned, Dir. Lewis has to depend on the privately
expressed sympathy OF his colleagues In the OF
the most influential this is fortunately his. Mr.. Lewis
has formally announced that all protection papers
granted prior to this date hereby Cancelled and
anuuled and that in future the protection of this
consulate will not be extended TO any person who
does produce proper and satisfactory proof OF his
right protection and the necessity for the safety of
his property"
So far as America is concerned, this is almost equiv
alent aboshng consular protection altogether for
the only right to protection which exists under the
Treaty of Madrid besides that OF bona fde citizens
and the immediate employees of Legations and
Consulates, is the right OF Wholesale merchants TO
protect native brokers in every port town with
which they trade. 1t is specially stipulated that
these brokers shall be employed in Wholesale trade
and the wholesale trade OF America With Morocco is
small that it Is questionable whether there
exists at this moment native subject OF the
Sultan vhv claim protection under this clause.
Nothing is illustrative OF the disregard in which
the treaty has been held than the Indignation aroused
among protected jews by the announcement OF the
intention OF the United States to return to stpu-
tons.
II facts to be looked at they are, IL must be
admitted that foreign officials in Morocco have at
various used their public powers tor the further
ance OF private interests. have heard prices
mentioned which varied from f200 to half dollar,
and jew who described the system to me
apparently unconscious, " hen he named regular
tariff for the Consular stamp that he speaking of
o dishonest transaction. l am far from wishing 10
imply that heads OF divisions generally are inclined to
tolerate these proceedings. On the contrary, the
existence of such abuses which their utmost vigilance